Chosing Colors for Our New Center According to Vaastu Principals

Before we move into our new home in early March of next year, 2016, we must repaint the house inside and out. Chipping lead paint in the buildings presents health concerns. So we plan to encapsulate the lead paint with a fresh coat eco-friendly, low-VOC paint. This allows us to beautify the space and to increase the positive flow of energy through the house by selecting colors which honor the elements according to Vaastu. Because the house is a very old historic colonial style cottage, we are selecting historic colors reproduced from Colonial Williamsburg to honor the history of the house. We are sharing this description of our selection of colors to help people understand the applied principles of vaastu in practice.

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Vaastu Doshas (defects)

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Overall, the property has excellent vaastu, which was one of the considerations when selecting the property. There are several vaastu doshas (defects with the layout of the buildings on the property) which we intend to address in various ways. The kitchen, which ideally should be located in the SE, is to the North. The kitchen stove introduces a fiery element to the direction governing water. This problem is compounded by the fact that the well is located to the SE, the direction of fire. So the fire element and water element are out of place and hindering one another. Our long-term plans for remediation include relocating the well to the NE where it is ideally placed. In the mean time, we intend to perform several remedies to help mitigate the troubles caused by these vaastu doshas.

1) We intend to increase the agni element in the SE, by converting the old structure which covered the previous well into a yajnashala (space for sacred fire ceremonies). This structure is in the SE next to the current well. Here we will conduct regular homams. 2) We will convert the unfinished swimming pool into a lotus pond to help increase the water element in the NE. The swimming pool is currently surrounded by tall trees. We will clear tall trees from this area, so that the lotuses can receive needed Sunlight. This also helps open the space to the NE which is recommended by vaastu. 3) We will paint the kitchen in the North yellow to help mitigate the offense of fire being located in the direction of water. 4) We will color areas to the South red to help increase the agni element in that direction.

Colors for Specific Rooms

Lower Level / English Basement

Kitchen - To the North of the lower level is the kitchen. Ideally the kitchen would be located to the SE. There is little we can do to change this without having a great deal of money. We have chosen to paint the kitchen yellow to help reduce the effects of the kitchen being in the wrong direction. Yellow is a color which increases wealth in the North and which stimulates digestion without overly aggravating pitta. We have the yellow accented with small amounts of teal along the molding to honor the North and Shakambhari Devi who loves plants and vegetation.

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Ayurveda Room - To the South there is a large room, which we intend to use for storing Ayurvedic herbs and equipment and for Ayurvedic practice. This room will be painted red which is a color of health, vitality, and healing. Painting this room red will also help to increase the fire element in this direction which is weak due to the well being placed in the SE. To avoid overly increasing pitta, we have chosen a dull, almost purplish red which will be somewhat less heating. The wainscot will be painted a cool cream color as well for this reason. Pantry - bellow the porch on the 1st floor is a pantry where food will be stored. It is located to the East. We intend to paint this area a cream color which is ideal for the Eastern direction and which helps to purify foods stored there. Hall - the hall in the lower level we intend to paint in two shades of green. Light greens are authentic to historic colonial homes and this colors honors Shakambhari, the Goddess of the forest and vegetation. The majority of the walls will be a very light (almost white) green which honors the energy of the brahmasthana (the center of the house). Molding and paneling will be painted a slightly darker green.Laundry - The laundry area is located to the West on the lower level. We intend to paint that white which is a suitable color for cleansing and purification and which honors the energy of that direction.

1st Floor / Main Level

Puja (prayer) Room - On the main floor of the house, the puja room will be located toward the North. Vaastu recommends NE for a puja room and this room falls in the NE portion of the house. The sannidhi (altar) we are constructing for the Goddess will be installed in this room. This room will be decorated with yellow floral, chinoiserie wallpaper. This type of wallpaper is traditional for Colonial Georgian design, and its floral design honors the Goddess Shakambhari. The yellow color increases spiritual wisdom. Yellow is the color ideal for the NE. The wallpaper will be offset by light green molding and paneling. Light green honors Shakambhari because green is the color of vegetation. This is the ideal color for the Northen direction. Ornate, light blue curtains with valances will be included to make this the most formal and beautiful room in the house. Light blue will help increase the water element in the NE which is weakened by the placement of the kitchen to the North. Exterior Porch - Due East is the exterior porch. Vaastu recommends East facing entryways for buildings as ideal when possible. The porch here, provides an extension to the East which is auspicious according to vaastu. The colors we have selected for the outside of the house are based upon the existing colors. White for the house is a color of purity and spiritual light. Green for the shutters, honors the Goddess Shakmbhari.Foyer / Hall - The foyer, hallway, and staircase will be painted a light cream color with a light mustard yellow molding and wainscot. Painting the chair rail and the areas below a different color from the walls above is typical of Colonial Georgian-style interior design. We have selected historic colors, antique-style furnishings, and are following many principles of Colonial design to enhance the natural beauty of the historic Colonial house. Mustard yellow and off white are a typical Colonial color choice. These colors are used repeatedly throughout the house to bring a unity to the design of the house. These colors also increase the energy of the Moon and Jupiter, the two most auspicious planets in Swamiji's astrological chart. They are suitable for an ashram building because they bring about purity and spiritual wisdom.Parlor / Library - to the South on the 1st floor, there is another large room which will be used as a parlor for meeting and greeting people and a library. This room will be a space for guests to meet with Swamiji, and for people to relax , or to relax and enjoy a cup of Ayurvedic herbal tea or sit and study our extensive collection of books on Vedas, Ayurveda, astrology and other subjects. This room will be painted a brick red color to help increase the agni element to the SE. The molding and mantel will be painted yellow as in other areas of the house. The wainscot will be painted brown for a grounding energy. Light green curtains and upholstery will be used to accent the browns and reds and to honor Shakmabhari, the Goddess of the forest. Shop - to the West is a small room which we will use to display herbal teas, puja items, books and other items we sell. This room will be painted light blue with molding and shelving a slightly darker blue to honor Varuna, the Lord of the West. Light blue is a color which increases devotion, which is the object of offering such items for sale.

A crude sketch of the puja room with altar to the left

2nd Floor

Master Bedroom - in the main house, the master bedroom will be occupied by Swamiji's student Kevin, who is the teacher and practitioner of Ayurveda for the Soma Matha. He will be managing the house. The SW is the direction recommended by vaastu for the head of the household, and this room is located to the SW portion of the house. The room will be painted yellow, with red wainscot and teal trim. The colors evoke images of Tibetan Temples, which honor Kevin's love for Tibetan Buddhist practices. Red is included to help increase the agni element in the SE. Teal is included to honor Goddess Shakambhari. Yellow has been chosen as the main color to give strength to Jupiter, who is the most auspicious planet in Kevin's astrology. Bathroom - the bathroom is located between the 1st and 2nd floors to the West. It is being painted teal with plans for gold-colored tiles to be added in the future. The inspiration for this room is the beautiful greenish blue and gold of a peacock. Green honors Shakambhari Devi. A bluish tint to the green honors the Western direction. Green is a suitable color for purification (bathing) and to promote health and a love of nature. Gold brings spiritual illumination. Geust room - located to the North will be a guest room. This room will be used to house people for a short time who come to help with renovations to the property and other projects. It will also be used to house visitors who donate to spend a short retreat at the space. This space is decorated a light blue to honor the energies of the NW where Vaastu recommends placing guest rooms. This room will be decorated with a beautiful floral damask wallpaper. We have chosen to wallpaper only two rooms in the house, both located the North, the direction of Kubera. Lord Kubera is pleased by more-expensive decorations like wallpaper. The light blue color will increase spirituality and devotion for those who visit. Blue in this direction will also help to balance the effects of the well in the SE and the kitchen in the NE by increasing the water energy in the NE. The cool blue wallpaper will be offset by a more warming cream color molding and wainscot as to not be overly cooling to guests. Light blue is a color of detachment and this will help prevent guests from overstaying their welcome. Interior Balcony - the interior balcony to the East will overlook the gardens. We intend to place a few seats in this srea for visitors to relax. This area will be painted a cream color with yellow molding as is the foyer bellow. Blue colored upholstery will be used to tie this area to the guest room visually and to bring about spiritual thoughts.

Vaastu Shatra is the ancient science of space revealed by the Vedic Sages. Like Feng Shui, Vaast teaches us how to lay out buildings in harmony with nature and to enhance the flow of positive energy and to reduce negative energy effecting the people who inhabit that space. Vaastu teaches that each direction is governed by a certain element and that specific rooms and features of a property should be aligned with these elements. All planning and construction is done after proper consideration of the energy of the directions. The kitchen, for example, is ideally placed in the SE because this is the direction of the fire element which promotes cooking and digestion. The prayer room is ideally located in the NE, to take advantage of the positive energies flowing from that direction. When dealing with a property which is already constructed, it is not always possible to move a poorly placed room or well etc. Certain features like surrounding roads, buildings, power lines, water bodies, mountains and other things cannot be changed. So there are certain recommendations Vaastu prescribes which can help to counter the negative effects of improper construction or surrounding defects to the vaastu of a property.

Vaastu Directions and Colors

Vaastu recommends the careful selection of colors for decorating a space as one potential remedy for Vaastu defects. Vaastu teaches that each direction has a different energy. For the purposes of vaastu directions are determined according to the sun using a gnomon. The NE direction is related to the Water element. The SE relates to Fire. The SW relates to Earth. The NW relates to Air. And the central portion, called the Brahmasthana, relates to Space or Akaksha. Each direction has its own unique energy and is related to a Diety or Dikpala (Guardian of the Direction). From a profound understanding of the energy of the directions, Vaastu has prescribed specific colors for decorating each direction in order to suppress the potentially harmful effects of energies flowing from that direction and to enhance the beneficial effects. The illustration shows suggestions for colors for each direction. Note that different texts provide different recommendations of colors for the different directions and that there are various possible colors which can be used. A more extensive list is provided in the table below. Dealing With Vaastu Defects with Color​When there are vaastu defects, the careful selection of color can help to hinder the harmful effects of improperly placed rooms and features while improving the positive flow of energy through the space. Positive energy is said to flow from the East and North and negative energy from the South and West. This is why vaastu recommends keeping the North and East sides of a property or room clear, open, light, and low - this enhances receptivity to the positive energy flowing from the North and East. Hills and walls, fences, trees and other obstructions in the North or East can substantially reduce the flow of energy effecting the health, wealth, and success of inhabitants. Of course, it is ideal whenever possible to remove obstructions from a property. When this is not possible (or affordable), a person can help to generate more positive energy in a direction by painting the room in that direction the corresponding color from the illustration above. Beneficial colors may also be introduced to a space through fabrics for curtains, upholstery, artwork, rugs, or other decorations. Colors may also be used to help counterbalance the effects of improperly placed elements in the vaastu. If water, a well, lake, river, shower, or faucet is located in the SE, this is considered bad, because water will weaken the fire element in that direction. This vaastu dosha can weaken the confidence, intellect, immunity, and digestion of the people in the home. It can cause anxiety and accidents. If it is not possible to move that water which is dampening the fire element, it can be beneficial to paint the room in the SE pink. If pink is brought into the SE to increase the fire energy and a candle or ghee lamp is offered to Lord Murugan in the SE regularly, this can be an effective remedy to help counteract the effects of improperly placed water. It is beyond the scope of this article to provide an exhaustive list of vaastu defects and their potential color related remedies. These examples should help a person to understand the basic principles of using colors as a remedial measure in vaastu.

Considering One's Astrology ​The 8 directions may also be related to the Nine planets of Vedic astrology. Each planet is said to rule a different direction and the careful selection of colors can give strength to the planet ruling that direction. Colors may also be used to shield a person from the negative influence of the planets caused by their placement in the natal chart. According to vaastu, the Sun relates to the East; Venus to the SE; Mars to the South; Rahu to the SW; Saturn to the West; the Moon to the NW; Mercury to the North, and Jupiter and Ketu both to the NE. For example, painting the Southern room in a house a bold red would give strength to Mars and the Fire element. Using cooler colors like pink or green would ease an excess of fiery energy in that direction. See the list below of various colors suitable for each direction according to the consideration of the Planets, and Elements of each direction.

Giving Strength to Benefic Planets and Shielding from the Effects of Malefic PlanetsWhen selecting colors for one's home, it is wise to consult an astrologer to seek advice on the types of colors most suitable to give strength to one's auspicious planets. According to astrology, each planet is capable of exerting benefic or malefic effects based upon its nature for the ascendance, its house and sign of placement, and its association with other planets in the chart etc. Determining which planets are most benefic and which are most malefic is a complex task best left to an experienced astrologer. If a person has a sense of which planets are the strongest benefics in the birth chart, they can give extra strength to that planet to increase their beneficial effects in life by favoring the colors relating to that planet whenever possible in decorating. Red, gold and dark orange will give strength to the Sun. White, silver and light blues will strengthen the Moon. Red, maroon, and bold colors will strengthen Mars. Green, tan, brown, and Earth tones will strengthen Mercury. Yellow, gold, and light oranges will strengthen Jupiter. White, light blue, light pink, and pastels will give strength to Venus. Dark blue, purple, or grey will strengthen Saturn. Grey, blue, maroon, brown or dark orange will strengthen Rahu. And light blue, light green, gold, or yellow can strengthen Ketu. These colors will be especially powerful to strengthen a Planet when they are used in the direction of the Planet, but they can be helpful when used in any suitable direction. The colors which give strength to malefic planets in one's chart should be avoided as much as possible, as their presence may increase the Planet's potential to cause trouble in life.

When the colors recommend by Vaastu risk giving unwanted power to malefic Planets, it is always possible to use complementary colors to help reduce the energy of the planet in question. Selecting colors from the table above which honor the direction in some way is ideal when substituting colors. The colors of neutral planets or those which have mixed results may be used as secondary colors for decorating, but are best avoided as primary colors throughout the home. However, if there is no other choice, the colors of neutral planets will cause much less trouble than those of malefics. When considering the astrology of a building which will be used by various different people, Vaastu would recommend basing color choices primarily upon the astrology of the owner of the property.

Considering one's Ayurvedic Constitution Ayurveda teaches that health can be understood in terms of the balance of the three doshas: vaata, pitta, and kapha. Each of the doshas has a propensity to be increased or decreased by the colors a person is exposed to for long periods of time, like the walls in a home or office. One's doshic balance may be determined by a qualified Ayurvedic practitioner. Vata dosha benefits from warm, calming, grounding colors like reds, oranges, yellows, browns, tans, and Earth tones. Pitta benefits from cooling, calming colors like blues, white, greens, purples, Earth tones, and light colors. Kapha benefits from bold, stimulating or cleansing colors like red, purple, orange, and bright colors. It is useful when selecting colors for a building to consider the doshic balance of all the people who will be regularly using that space. It is Not always Best to Choose One's Favorite Colors It is worth mentioning that when people are out of balance, they tend to gravitate toward things which further increase their imbalance. Colors are no exception. Angry pitta types often favor red for clothing and decorations and avoid the cooling calming colors that balance their doshas. They feel uncomfortable with light blues, white, or other cool colors. Many depressed people wear a large amount of black which attracts negativity and promotes even more sadness. It is important when selecting colors to keep this principle in mind and not to select the colors which are a person's favorite, but to select those colors which are most beneficial. But it is useful if a person has some affinity for the colors selected for decorating, since they have to live with them and the colors should be beautiful to them so that they bring pleasure, comfort, and joy as they improve the energy of the space. General Considerations for Color Selection ​In general, lighter colors are a better choice for an uplifting surrounding. White is a pure color which is uplifting and which tends to deflect all negativity and shields a person from darkness. Black is a color which is depressing and which attracts all forms of negativity to a person. Any color can be softened by adding white and darkened by adding black. But white and the cooler shades which come from mixing white with other colors can be very cooling, so a delicate balance is required to create an uplifting effect without becoming too cool. This is especially important to consider for people with an excess of vata or kapha. Colors throughout a building should be selected to complement one another so that there is a harmonious effect when passing from room to room in the space. Colors that clash and dramatic contrasts of color can be overly stimulating and do not lead to an overall sense of peace for people using the space. When decorating a space, it is wise to create a balanced color pallet which creates a natural flow from room to room considering the astrology and doshic balance of the inhabitants of the space and the energy of the directions. Color selection Considering the Intended Use of a RoomIt is wise to select colors with not only the direction in mind but also the intended use for the space. The spiritual energy of a prayer room may be enhanced by using light yellows or light lavender shades. Coloring a kitchen or dining room with warm colors like yellow,pink, red, or orange helps promote proper digestion. An office or study may be colored yellow to promote intelligence. Bedrooms for individuals should be colored with particular attention to the astrology, Ayurvedic constitution and affinities of the person using that room. A bedroom is often a person's personal space in a house shared with the family. The needs of that individual can be fully addressed most effectively in their personal spaces within the common dwelling. Light green for showers can promote healing and cleansing. These are just a few examples of the possible use of color to enhance the qualities of a specific room in relation to its intended use. The possibilities are vast. The nature of the Colors in General In the aura, lighter shades indicate higher spiritual thoughts and feelings and darker colors indicate the base animal instincts and emotions like fear, anger, greed, jealousy, and confusion. Light reds stimulate vitality and romantic passion, but darker reds inflame hatred, rage, and violence. Light purple promotes spiritual vision. Light blues foster spiritual love, while dark blues and purples can create superstition and fear. Light greens inspire a love of nature while dark greens bring about anxiety and metal agitation. Light yellows induce spiritual intellect, while dark grayish yellow stimulate overactive mind and confusion. Light orange indicates spiritual intellect and dispassion, while dark oranges can bring about possessiveness and attachment. Colors can be bold and bright, especially when this is beneficial for one's Planets or Ayurvedic constitution. But very dark colors should be avoided, especially dark grayish, blackish, or brownish shades. It is clear to one who understands the psychological effects of the colors that lighter colors are more uplifting because they stimulate the higher spiritual emotions of peace, joy, love, and contentment. Dark colors attract dark thoughts and feelings to the mind.

It is not a simple task to select suitable colors for a space according to the principles of vaastu. For the best effects, many complex factors must be evaluated. But with knowledge and careful consideration, it is possible to improve the quality of life for people using a building and to help counter the effects of vaastu defects to enhance the flow of positive energy to a space by decorating with appropriate colors.

Once we close on the property we are buying in the end of January, we will need to work to re-plaster, refinish the floors, and repaint the house inside and out. The old house needs a bit of work to make it fit for use.Floors The finish of the hard wood floors is being worn off after years of use. In order to preserve the floors, we must sand off the remaining finish and refinish the floors. We intend to use eco-friendly products throughout the project as much as possible. We intend to do much labor for the restorations ourselves to save money. We have several volunteers with some experience with building and renovating houses helping with these projects.Plaster The plaster is cracking in places and portions of it are missing on the top floor exposing the roof boards. It is necessary to fill cracks and holes with plaster to prevent further damage and to create a smooth surface for painting. We intend to do this work ourselves.

Scraping Paint The paint is peeling in places inside and outside of the house. This in particular presents a health concern because the old house is painted with lead paint. Chipping lead paint inside (or outside) the house is dangerous for the health of people who inhale the dust of chip or for children who eat the sweet-tasting lead paint. To make the inside of the house safe, we intend to scrape and sand chipping lead paint and to cover the entire interior with a fresh coat of paint. Once covered with an exterior coat, the lead paint will present no great risk. To safely remove lead paint we will need to purchase respirator masks, special, disposable coveralls, thick bags for removing the lead paint chips, and other tools. The outside of the house must be treated similarly to remove potentially dangerous lead paint and to create a smooth surface for painting.Painting ​​Painting the house inside and out will not only improve the appearance of the property, it will also help safely encapsulate the toxic lead paint. We plan to paint the house with eco-friendly (no-VOC) paints and to use historic colors from Colonial Williamsburg for an authentic historical look to enhance the beautiful Colonial style architecture. We will need to prime and paint all the surfaces of the house which we intend to do ourselves. We are selecting colors for the project based upon Vaastu Shastra to help increase the flow of positive energy through the space and to help mitigate the effects of minor Vaastu Doashas in the layout of the buildings. We intend to share more about the choice of colors in Vaastu here soon.What we need from You We need donations now so that we can start work on the renovations at the end of January so Swamiji can move to the house in early March when his current lease ends. Donations will help us to buy paint, brushes, floor finish, plaster, and other needed tools and equipment. We need volunteers (ideally with experience doing this work) to help with the the work. Please donate here. Or contact info@somamatha.org to offer your help.